Question.

How do you stain cartilage with safranine?

Answer.

The Safranin O method for Cartilage goes like this;

  1. Dewax section and take to water.
  2. Stain nuclei with a suitable iron haematoxylin.
  3. Blue in running tapwater.
  4. Rinse in distilled water.
  5. Stain with 1% light green diluted 1 in 5 with distilled water, for 3 minutes.
  6. Rinse in 1% acetic acid.
  7. Stain with 0.1% Saffranin O, for 4 - 6 minutes.
  8. Rinse in 1% acetic acid and check under microscope. Any
      overstaining with Safranin can be modified by re-applying the
      light green solution briefly, and vice versa.
  9. Dehydrate with alcohol,clear and mount.

(Modified from the method in Lillie's "Histopathological Technic and Practical Histochemistry")

John Difford
London, England
(adford[AT]compuserve.com)